Tesla Recalls Thousands of Cybertrucks Because 600-HP Pickup's Accelerator Pedal Can Stick

• A recall for nearly every Cybertruck produced has been issued.
• Tesla was using soap to install accelerator pedal covers, which are now slipping off.
• If a cover comes loose, it could wedge itself into the floor trim, pinning the pedal in place.

The National Highway and Traffic Safety Association has opened a recall for the Tesla Cybertruck. Owners have posted videos on social media showing the issue, in which a cover attached to the truck’s accelerator pedal can come loose and wedge itself into the trim above the pedal, effectively pinning the throttle.

Thankfully the NHTSA recall says that applying the brake overrides any throttle application, allowing owners to slow the car even though the accelerator is stuck. As for the cause, the NHTSA states “an unapproved change introduced lubricant (soap) to aid in the component assembly of the pad onto the accelerator pedal. Residual lubricant reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal.” In other words, Tesla appears to have been using soap to slip the cover onto the accelerator pedal, and leftover soap caused the cover to slip off during vehicle use.

Effectively every Cybertruck that has been delivered is affected by the recall, which lists 3,878 units affected. Fortunately for prospective buyers, any Cybertruck built after April 4 is not affected. Tesla says it will replace or rework the accelerator pedal assembly for owners free of charge as part of the recall, and owners will begin receiving notifications in June. The Cybertruck was part of an earlier recall for a bizarre issue — essentially some of the text in its gauges was too small.

This isn't the first time a case of unintended acceleration has made headlines. A decade ago, Toyota paid out over a billion dollars in fines after sticking pedals and a design flaw that allowed the pedal to become trapped by floor mats caused unintended acceleration. This resulted in the recall of over 8 million Toyota vehicles.

Edmunds says

Using a cleaning agent to apply a cover to a crucial part of a car seems like a pretty glaring production oversight. Luckily, a fix is in the works.